WASHINGTON — The path to citizenship outlined in the Senate immigration bill for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants is a long, expensive and complicated journey.

Earning citizenship will take more than a decade, cost thousands of dollars, and require applicants – half of whom live in poverty and many of whom don’t speak English – to comply with a daunting list of regulations.

Even as opponents decry the path as “amnesty,” immigrant advocates are concerned that the burdensome process may make citizenship nearly unachievable for millions who qualify.

“We have grave concerns about whether low-income immigrants will be able to afford the fees, fines, and tax liability that they would be required to pay” the National Immigration Law Center wrote in an analysis of the measure.

More than 900,000 undocumented immigrants live in Los Angeles County according to a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. There is no way to be certain how many of them would make it through the process, let alone qualify, to obtain citizenship.

The Senate’s bipartisan “Gang of Eight” introduced a reform bill last month that aims to improve the immigration system by increasing border security, and providing the opportunity of citizenship to undocumented immigrants.

Among the flash points as it works its way through Congress is the level of difficulty in providing citizenship. While the bill’s prospects for passage are strong in the Senate, some Republicans have warned that the path will need to become even tougher for it to win approval in the House.

“The Gang of Eight’s bill is aggressive and outrageous amnesty,” said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa when the bill was introduced. “It is instant legalization of all illegal immigrants in the United States.”

The bill provides for “legal status” for immigrants who pay a $500 penalty, back taxes and a yet-to-be determined filing fee. All applicants must have been in the country continuously for the past 18 months, and not been convicted of a felony or three misdemeanors.

But the path to citizenship contains many more twists and turns.

The shortest path is for those brought to the country as children. Known as “Dreamers,” those enrolled in school who have lived in the U.S. since they were 16, maintained a presence here for at least five years and are younger than 31 years old will be able to receive a green card – the first step toward citizenship – after five years.

Most immigrants, however, will have to wait at least a decade before receiving a green card, and several more to become a citizen.

And as a compromise with those who wish to make border security a priority, the process won’t begin until the Department of Homeland Security is able to certify the U.S. borders are “secure.”

“It’s certainly not a bill that we would have written ourselves,” said Laura Vazquez, a legislative analyst at the National Council of La Raza, who nevertheless said it “makes significant improvements to our broken immigration system. “

“We are concerned about the cost and the fees and we are watching very carefully to ensure that nothing gets added on to what’s already in the legislation that will make it even more difficult for people to go through the legalization process,” Vazquez said.

Once the borders are deemed secure, undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. before December 31, 2011 will be able to apply for “Registered Provisional Status.”

In addition to the $500 penalty, applicants must submit to a background check including a biometric analysis, fingerprinting, and a thorough medical exam, to ensure they are healthy and up-to-date with their vaccinations.

This process involves travelling to a designated application support center, which requires the undocumented immigrant to have reliable transportation and available hours for the obligatory meetings.

As “provisional” immigrants, the law prohibits them from receiving federal benefits until five years after they receive a green card.

“This is a low-wage workforce that already struggles to survive and provide for their families,” said Tanya Broder, a senior staff attorney for the National Immigration Legal Center.

Broder said the temporary status “will help stabilize their income and should improve their ability to contribute to the community. But the fines, fees, penalties and employment requirement may be difficult for them to meet.”

Six years into their wait, the immigrants must reapply for the status, paying another $500 penalty and prove they have been steadily employed. After 10 years, they may apply for a green card, and join “legal immigrants” who have applied for citizenship, a process that typically takes several years.

The process for applying for each step requires a meticulous understanding of the immigration process and a high level of English proficiency. Most cannot afford to hire immigration attorneys.

Vazquez voiced optimism that millions will be able to comply. She noted that the Senate Judiciary Committee just adopted an amendment proposed by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, which would allow applicants to pay their penalties and back taxes in installments.

“The ultimate goal of the legislation we believe is to get as many people to move from undocumented status into a path to citizenship,” Vazquez said. “That has to be met by having a process that is real and accessible.”

The California News Service is a joint project of the University of California Washington Center and the UC Berkeley School of journalism. E-mail: cns@ucdc.edu

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